Laughter, Wisdom and Story–Same Thing?

Posted by Jerrie on June 14, 2012 in Definition, Family Stories, Why Stories? | 0 comments

Stories give us wisdom which is better than knowledge and more useful than information. In fact, I’ve come to believe that story is the way we capture wisdom and hold onto it. With that in mind, let me share a few thoughts . . .

Truth gives us no comfort in time of trouble and no sense of direction. For that, you need good stories about how others handled hard times.

Good stories bend the details but always tell the truth. That’s because they’re about larger things.

Small people insist on the truth. Those who intend to live large insist on stories.

We play peekaboo with babies to make them laugh and also to teach them that just because they don’t see something doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Laughing is also good for adults, especially the ones who think they’re beyond being surprised. The Dali Lama recently suggested that laughter is wisdom. Those who are wise laugh and never assume that because you can’t see something, it’s isn’t there.

Do you agree that laughter, wisdom and story are the same?